Dust indicator



April-2, 1940.

w. M. SCHWEICKART DUST INDICATOR Filed Feb. 23, 1938 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS 2o l on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Patented Apr. 2,1940

7 UNITE D STAT-Es paw PATENT, OFFICE I l D ST INDICATOR William ivi. Schweickart, Euclid, .0hio, assignor,

by mesne assignments,

to- Pocahontas Fuel Company; Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a, I

1 corporation of Virginia" jApplication February'23, 1938, Serial No. 191.947 I 5 Claims. (01.13%51") this type adapted for the empirical determination of dust in bituminous coal.

Other. objects, including the specific construction and arrangement of the parts, will appear from the following description considered in conneetion with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig, l is a side elevation of one form of the in-' vention showing the air supply cylinder, dust cylinder and capsule member in section-parts being broken away; and

Fig. 2 isv an enlarged horizontal cross section In the illustrated embodiment a cylindrical air chamber. It mounted on base H is'provided with an open top into which the cylindrical capsule i2 is snugly, fitted. The capsule is provided with.

openings l3 communicating with chamber l0, and

an air outlet at the top, preferably beingprovided with an open top and a portion M of reduced diameter overwhich the dust column cylinder H5 is fitted. Cylinder I5 is closed at the top .by

removable cap l6; and is provided with outlet means for discharging dust at various elevations,

the form'illustrated being provided with a vertically aligned series of small openings 11.

Aligned with openings I! is a suitable scale which is shown in the form of an indicator tube V I8 provided with suitable indicia l9; and a danger line2ll may be located to indicate the point of division between permissible and excessive quantities ofdust. I

Tube I8 is held in place by clips 2| mounted on cylinder l5, and may be open for'receptionof an oiled cloth 22 or other suitable material for ap-:

plying a dust adhesive coating to the indicator tube l8.

Air under pressure is introduced into chamber 10, from an air supply cylinder 25 mounted onv base H communicating, through pipe '25 with chamber In, preferably through valve 21, which may be provided with suitable means such as pointer 23 on valve stem 24 to indicate the valve setting. The pump plunger 28 is weighted to provide the necessary air pressure when the plunger is raised and then released, as by forming the plunger of solid metal, and is of appropriate size 'veniently accomplished by a fixed providing a convenient method for assuring unito travel between an-upper stop, which may consist of the cylinder cap- 29 engaging the piston head 30, and a lower stop which may be the base 3 I of the cylinder 25'.

In operation tubel8 is provided with a coatin to which the dust will adhere, which is conthe tube adjacent aperture I! with oil, which may be applied by means of; cloth 22, tube l8 being removable from clips 2| for-the purpose. Capsule i2 is filled with the material to, be tested, suchas a sample of'bituminous coal, seated inthe top, of chamber '10 and column I5 is then seatedon the top-of capsule l2. Plunger 28 is raised to its upper stop and released, the descent of the plunger prowiping the surface of viding a measured quantity of air under fixed uniform pressure passing upwardly through capsule l2 and projecting dust upwardly into column l5, from which the dust escapes through apertures l1 and impinges on the scale l8, where it is retained by the film of oil or the like. The dust on said scale will indicate the height to which dustwas propelled in column l5, providing a numerical measure of the dust permitting ready comparison of dust content with other samplesof coal. After use the index I8 may be'readilywiped clean with cloth 22, replacing the oil film and preparingthe apparatus for immediate reuse.

The air supply to the coal in capsule 12 may readily be regulated by valve 2'! to adapt the arrangement to different types of materialzor conditions. The use of a weighted plunger supplies quantity of air at a fixed uniform rate,

formity of expulsion of dust from the material in capsule l2.

While the preferred embodiment has been described and illustrated the invention is capable of substantial variation within the scope of the invention as indicated by the claims; Moreover, whilefit isprimarily adapted for determining the quantity of dust in the finer grades of bituminous coal, it may beadapted for other purposes, which for instance may utilize the classification of the dust in the column of air in cylinder l5.

I claim: p 1. Dust-indicating apparatus cepta'cle for fragmentary dust-containing material arranged for the passage of an air current through the material, an air passage positionedto receive the air current from the receptacle and provided with outlet means for dischargingair fromsaid current at longitudinally spaced points, means registering with said discharge for receiving and retaining dust discharged at different comprising I a relongitudinal points, and means for passing an air current through the receptacle, passage and outlet means.

2. Dust-indicating apparatus comprising a receptacle for fragmentary dust-containing material arranged for the passage of an air current through the material, a vertical air passage positioned to receive the air current from the receptacle and provided with outlet means for discharging air from said current at different levels, means registering with the outlet means for receiving and separately retaining dust discharged at difierent levels, and means for passing an air current through the receptacle, passage and outlet means. 7 I

3. Dust-indicating apparatus comprising a receptacle for fragmentary dust-containing material having an air inlet at the lower part thereof, an air outlet at the top thereof, a vertical passage extending upwardly from and communicating With the outlet, vertically spaced openings in the side of the passage, means registering with said openings for collecting dust discharged therethrough, and means for passing a current of air through the receptacle, passage and openings.

4. Dust-indicating apparatus comprising a receptacle for dust-containing material provided with an air inlet in the lower part and an air outlet in the upper part thereof, an air supply chamber surrounding the inlet, an air discharge chamber extending upwardly from the outlet, vertically aligned outlet means in the side of the passage for discharging the air laterally, and dust-collecting means registering with the outlet means and arranged to collect and retain separately the dust discharged by said means at vertically spaced levels.

5. Dust measuring apparatus comprising means for creating an upward current of air carrying suspended dust particles, a vertically extending tube surrounding said dust laden air currents and having a plurality of side outlets extending longitudinally of the tube to permit lateral leakage of said dust laden air at successive vertical points, and stationary indicating means along said outlet means for retaining dust particles at successive vertical points along said tube so as to indicate the dust content of said air currents.

WILLIAM M. SCHWEICKART. 

